The Fox and the Hound
by KayleyK1472
Summary: This is the novelized version of the Disney movie the fox and the hound. i own nothing. enjoy :)
1. Chapter 1

Our story begins on a calm spring day in a misty forest.

Forest animals can be heard.

Faint gunshots break the tranquility as they steadily increase in volume and the sounds of barking dogs follow.

A vixen suddenly appears on a small crest. She is carrying a pup in her mouth, the last of her precious litter. She puts the pup down briefly as she looks around in fear. The barking continues, coming closer and closer to the young female.

She then picks up the pup and breaks into a mad dash through the forest. After running through the thick underbrush for a while with the dogs in hot pursuit, she breaks through the tree line and moves across grasslands and a farm.

An owl appears from a hole in the tree, wondering what all the commotion is about. She steps out onto a branch and gazes out. The vixen appears beside a wooden fence. She stops to look around for a bit. She places the pup down beside the fence, giving it some affection. The owl watches as the vixen gets scared by more barking. The vixen runs out into more open grassland, leaving the pup behind. The vixen disappears behind a hill, and a loud gunshot is heard.

A look of shock comes over the owl's face. A second shot is heard, and birds fly out of the grass. The owl shakes her head sadly then looks down at the fence.

She then spots the pup and takes in its sad and frightened appearance. She floats down to it and it tries to hide from her.

"You poor little fella. It's all right. Big Mama's here." She briefly looks out at the grasslands then turns back to the pup.

"You know? You're gonna need some caring for. Now. . . now let's see darlin'."

The pup carefully approaches her as she paces around, thinking.

"You need a. . ."

She looks down as she feels something soft and small pressing up against her leg. The pup has warmed up to her and is starting to cuddle her.

Big Mama jumps back slightly, amused. "Oh no. No no no. Not me. Not Big Mama now."

She looks up, thinking and reassures the pup. "Now I'm thinkin' though."

The sounds of a woodpecker can be heard. Both Big Mama and the pup look towards the sound's direction.

"Oh. Ah ha! Now don't. . . don't you move, honey. Big Mama's gonna be right back." SHe hides the pup safely in a clump of grass and flew off towards a woodpecker and a sparrow in a tree not too far away.

As she approaches, the woodpecker is drilling into the tree with his sharp, strong beak.

"Good work, Boomer. We'll get him this time," the sparrow says.

Together they both stare into the hole, searching for something.

"Shh. I think he's in there," the sparrow continues as Big Mamma alighted gently next to the pair.

"Whew! Am I glad I found you boys. There's no time to lose. I need your help. Now come on. Come on!"

Without waiting for their reply, Big Mama flew off again, eager to get back to the baby fox.

Dinky - the sparrow - sighs but obliges anyways, leaving his breakfast. "Let's go, Boomer. Come on."

Boomer was more reluctant. "Yeah. But but but. . . Aw shucks."

They both fly off.

A caterpillar appears at the hole and breathes a sigh of relief, happy he wasn't breakfast.

Back at the fence, the birds all perch on the fence and look down at the pup.

Boomer looks down sadly at the tiny scrap hiding in the grass. "Aw. Poor little guy."

"Don't you worry now. We're gonna find someone to look after you." Big Mamma sooths.

Dinky looks away in thought. "Hmm."

He hops around, thinking, then looks at the nearby farm house.

"Hey! I think I got an idea."

They huddle around and talk. The pup looks up at them curiously. Finally, they break.

Dinky quickly sets their plan in motion. "Okay, Boomer. Now you know what to do."

Boomer speaks rapidly as he flew away. "Yeah. Leave it to me. Leave it to me."

Flying up to the house, he perches on the doorknob and starts pecking at the door steadily.

The old widow - a kind old woman with graying wispy hair and large spectacles - hollard from inside. "Who is it?"

The door opens, smashing Boomer against a wall, and the old woman appears. She is obese, elderly, gray haired, and wears simple pink stockings with brown galloshes.

She looks around, puzzled as she takes in her empty yard. "Well. I was sure I heard someone knocking."

She gasps.

"Oh dear! My laundry!" she cries out in dismay.

Big Mama and Dinky have picked up a piece of laundry. Just as they had planned, the widow chases after them, hollering as she tries to catch her clothes.

"Oh! Here! Stop it! Oh you pesky birds! Will you come here?!"

They start carrying the laundry piece along as they fly.

"Oh! Stop!"

They drop the clothing right on the fox pup.

The widow catches up and huffs slightly in annoyance. "Well! I wonder what got into those birds?"

She reaches down and picks up her laundry. Upon spotting the fox, she gasps and drops the laundry back down. Hesitating for a moment, she reaches down and picks it up again, looking underneath.

The widow clutched her chest and smiled tenderly. "Well bless my soul! Why it's. . . it's a baby fox."

She looks at it adoringly.

"Oh. Hello little fella."

She looks up briefly. "I wonder where its mother is?"

She looks back down at the fox and tries to grab it, but the fox becomes scared.

"Come on now. I'm not gonna harm you."

The pup swipes at her hand but misses.

"Now now. Oh isn't that. . .?!" She picks him up. "Oh my my. You're a fiesty little rascal. Aren't you?"

She holds the pup close to her body.

"There there. Now calm down. No, I just can't leave you out here all alone."

She carries the pup back to the house, whispering, "Isn't he darling?"

Back inside, the widow is feeding the pup a bottle of milk as she rocks them back and fourth in her chair gently.

"Now not so fast. Now now. Not so fast," she said tenderly as the pup tried to gulp as much as he could down. "Oh my. You're such a little toddler. Say! That's what I'll call you. . . Tod. You know, Tod? I'm not going to be so lonesome anymore."

Outside, Big Mama, Dinky, and Boomer are watching the scene from outside. Suddenly, they hear a car backfire and look behind. A man driving an old car putters past in the farm next door.


	2. Chapter 2

On this farm, an old dog lay sleeping in a barrel, twitching in his sleep as he dreams. The smell of wet dog, dirt, and fresh summer air fills the area, a smells that fills the owner of the farm's heart with joy.

The dog wakes up as a man - the farm's owner and the dog's beloved master - gets out of the car, and the dog stretches. The man goes by the name of Amos Slade. He too was elderly and gray haired. But instead of being obese, he was slim and mustachioed and often wears an olive green hat, orange coat, blue pants, black boots, and gray jumpsuit.

The man approaches his hunting dog and holds out a sack he'd pulled from the car.

"I've got a surprise for you, Chief old boy," he says.

Chief is a slender Irish Wolfhound dog. He has short darker - almost black - ears, white chest markings, silver grey coat of fur that was thick and warm for hunting, and wears a red collar.

The dog licks its mouth and barks excitedly.

"Now now now. Take it easy."

The dog sniffs at the bag, which starts to move about and yelp. The man pulls out a puppy as Chief backs away, disappointed and startled.

"Well. How's this for a huntin' dog?"

The older dog's excitement fades even further.

"He's just a little runt now, but he'll grow."

Amos places the puppy on the ground. Chief sniffs the puppy, which gives him a lick on the nose. Chief makes a face and looks at Amos.

"You may as well get used to him, Chief. He's for you to look after from now on."

Amos walks away.

Chief, a little grumpy, heads for his barrel. The puppy heads in with him. Chief is startled and backs out. The puppy prances out playfully and Chief bowls the puppy over. He tries to go back to sleep, but the puppy walks underneath his head, falling asleep on one of his front paws. Chief looks around, a little embarrassed. He then places his head down beside the puppy. He half smiles then goes to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Life on the old widow's farm passes quickly for Tod. The pup continues to grow and becomes more mischievous with each passing day.

On one particular morning, the widow was out in her barn, milking her cow and humming to herself.

Tod runs up and starts playing with the cow's tail. The cow moos angrily.

Widow looks up, amused. "Tod. Stop pestering Abigail. Ha ha. Abigail? You're going to have to be patient with Tod. He's one of the family now."

The cow moos and went back to chewing her breakfast.

Suddenly, Tod starts barking eagerly and stood up on his hind legs, batting at the air with his paws.

"Ha ha! Oh of course. Now I know."

The widow squirts some milk into Tod's mouth. He licks it up happily, swiping a little pink tongue over his chops.

Widow laughed. "I declare I never will get my chores done."

Tod walks up to a nest with a mother hen sitting in it. He playfully reaches out to touch one of the chicks. The hen looks back and notices Tod. She grows alarmed and starts chasing Tod. The cow moos in alarm, and Widow Tweed is knocked off her stool.

Widow frantically looks around, alarmed. "Oh! Mercy! Tod! Stop it! Abigail! Abigail!"

The cow kicks the bucket of milk over.

"Oh! Oh no, there goes my milk!" She stands up in anger. "Oh no!"

Tod looks at her in guilt. The widow rushes over to the cow to try and calm her down.

"Easy. Easy, Abigail," She says, holding the cow's head. "Steady, old girl. Steady."

Finally, the cow is calm.

Widow patts the side of her head gently. "There there."

She angrily looks back at Tod who slinks to a corner.

"Tod! You come here! I said come here!" she snaps, angry.

Reluctantly, Tod slowly crawls back to her. She picks him up and points to the spill. "Just look what you've done!"

Tod looks at the spill and flinches guiltily. Then he smiles and starts licking her.

Widow smiles slightly, anger gone. "Now. Don't try to butter me up."

She giggles.

"Oh Tod. I just can't stay angry with you. You little imp."

She puts Tod down. "Now. Run along and play. Go on!"

Tod scampers out of the barn as she calls a few more words after him.

"And try to stay out of mischief!"

Tod stops a short distance from the barn and looks around. Seeing nobody, he sighs sadly. Then he looks up and spots Dinky and Boomer flying overhead.

"Hey! It's Dinky and Boomer. Maybe they wanna play."

He follows them.

Dinky and Boomer fly on screen and land on a branch.

Dinky turns to his friend. "Is this it, Boomer?"

Boomer nods enthusiastically. "Oh sure, Dinky! This is the place! I never forget a tree. I never forget a tree. Hoo hoo hoo."

Dinky hops along the branch.

"He won't get away this time. Heh heh!" Dinky puts his ear against the tree. "Hold it, Boomer! I think I hear somethin'."

"Oh that's him all right, Dinky. That's him all right."

"Shh shh. Get ready, Boomer. Hey! I can hear him movin'. Listen!"

Boomer puts his ear up against the tree. "Funny. I don't hear nothin'."

"Shh. Quiet!"

Dinky gets pressed between the tree trunk and Boomer's chest as Boomer tries to listen. He tries to get Boomer off of him but fails. Finally, Boomer pulls away, dropping a stunned Dinky to the branch.

"Oh that's him alright, Dinky. Oh that's him alright."

Dinky flies up and snaps Boomer's beak shut. "Button your beak! Will ya?!"

He then flies back to the tree. He spots a hole. "I'll check it out."

He looks inside and sees the caterpillar munching on some leaves.

"Will ya look at that?" Dinky looks back at Boomer. "Okay, Boomer. He's right...there."

Boomer hammers into the tree, nearly shika bobbing Dinky in the process.

"Yikes! Watch it!" He snapps.

Boomer gets his head stuck in the hole and yanks himself out. He has a piece of wood and the caterpillar around his beak. Squeeks - the name the two birds have given to the little worm - looks over the wood and sees Boomer.

"Aah!"

Boomer glares. "Why you. . .!"

Squeeks tries to take shelter back in the hole as Boomer breaks the piece of wood binding his beak. Boomer tries to hammer into Squeeks, but he dodges.

Dinky calls up encouragements to him as he tries to catch breakfast. "Nail him, Boomer! Sock it to him!"

Tod prances up. "Hiya fellas! Whatcha doin'? Wanna play?"

Dinky hops down to Tod, flustered and anxious as Boomer kept drilling. "Stay out of this, kid. This don't concern you."

Dinky then looks up to Boomer. "Let him have it!"

Boomer drills right to the other side of the tree. Squeeks hops on the opposite branch. He looks back, sees Boomer, and squirms away.

"Don't let the creep get away!"

Boomer follows. They disappear into some leaves.

"You can take him, Boomer. Give him a left, a right. Let him have it!"

Squeeks reaches the end of the branch and looks down to the ground far below. "Aah!"

He disappears into a hole in the branch, terrified.

Boomer was very ticked off now. "Which way did he go?!"

"This way!"

Dinky and Boomer both reach the end of the branch and look around. Squeeks slowly appears behind them. Dinky looks down and spots him.

"There he is!"

Squeeks disappears again, and Boomer drills right through the branch. The branch falls away, and Boomer falls to the ground.

Tod approaches him worriedly. "What happened to ya? Golly."

"Aw shucks! I think I bent my b-b-beak!" he said, touching his tender beak, wincing.

Dinky flies up, irriitated. "Now see what you've done?! You've cost us our breakfast!"

"I cost us our breakfast?! It was your fault!"

"What're you talkin' my fault?!"

"Oh yeah!"

They continue arguing as Tod watches on, shocked.

Squeeks looks down from within the branch and breathes a sigh of relief.

"A worm? For breakfast? Yeck! Bleh," Tod gags, disgusted.

He walks away from the arguing pair and spots a butterfly and begins to follow it playfully.


	4. Chapter 4

Back over at Slade's farm, Chief and Copper were drinking from their water bowls. Copper had grown as well as Tod, turning him into a mischievous pup eager to please.

Copper looks up suddenly and starts sniffing the air, a confused look crossing his face.

Chief looks over and frowns. "Hey there, Copper. What ya sniffin' at?"

"Somethin' I never smelled before, Chief."

"Hmm. Let me see."

Chief takes a long sniff in the air. He smiles, amused by his young charges lack of knowledge.

"Aw shucks. That's easy. The master's just cookin' grits and fatback. You oughta know that."

"Uh uh. That's not what I smell. I don't know, Chief. It's something else."

Chief snorts, amused. "Heh heh! Sonny, you've got a lot of learnin' to do about a-sniffin' and a-smellin'."

Chief lies down inside his barrel. He sees Copper get up to leave.

"Hey, where ya goin'?"

"I wanna find out what that smell is."

Chief stands and speaks in a warning tone as the pup waddles away. "Okay, Copper, but the master ain't gonna like you wandering off."

Copper looks back, confident. "I won't get lost, Chief. I can smell my way back."

Copper walks away, leaving Chief staring after him, baffled.

"Hmph. Can't tell these young whippersnappers anything."


	5. Chapter 5

Tod chases the butterfly inside a hollow log and hops on top at the end. He spots Copper entering the log and moves to investigate. He had never seen such an odd little creature before. To Tod, they looked very much alike. Anything with four legs and a tail was good enough for Tod to call family.

He stares down a small hole in the top then puts an ear to it to listen. A sniffing nose presses itself into his ear. He fluffs up his ginger fur jumps back, his ear twitching from the unpleasant feeling, and then looks back inside. He then proceeds to the end of the log and peers over and looks inside the log. He spots Copper sniffing the ground.

"Whatcha smellin'?"

Copper looks up with a small smile. "I'm on the trail of somethin'."

"Trail of what?"

"I don't know yet."

Copper continues sniffing until he reaches Tod. Copper sniffs at him.

"Why it's you!" Copper let's out a howl. Tod jumps to the ground.

Tod laughs. "What do you do that for?"

"We're supposed to do that when we find what we've been trackin'."

Tof playfully stands on his hind legs and hopped forward. "I'm a fox! My name's Tod. What's your name, kid?"

"Mine's Copper! I'm a hound dog!"

The two pups wrestle, laughing and laying for a moment.

"Gee. I bet you'd be good playing hide and seek. Wanna try it, Copper?" Tod says.

Copper nods, eager. "Can I use my nose?"

"Ha ha! Sure! Okay. Now go ahead and close your eyes and count."

Copper puts his head up against the log, closing his eyes.

"1. . . 2. . . 3. . ."

Copper starts to look.

Tod frowns. "No, Copper! Ya can't peek!"

"Oh." He hides his face once again.

Tod smiles and starts walking away. "Now start again."

Copper starts counting again while Tod runs to a nearby tree stump, runs around it, then hops on.

Big Mama watched over the wto, undetected from where she sat in a tree, looking upon them fondly.

"My my. Look at that. A fox and a hound. . . playing together!"

Copper stops counting and sniffs around the tree stump. He then looks up and finds Tod hiding on top. Tod happily runs off someplace else, his fur fluffy with excitement. He jumps onto a tree trunk, bounds to another, and hides in some bushes.

Big Mama thought to herself as she watches silently. "When you're the best of friends. . ."

Copper starts sniffing around again as he looks for Tod.

"Having so much fun together. You're not even aware you're such a funny pair. You're the best of friends."

Copper reaches the tree, sniffs it, and looks confused.

"Life's a happy game. You could clown around forever."

Copper then turns and starts sniffing some more.

"Neither one of you sees your natural boundaries."

Tod sneaks up behind Copper. Copper looks behind and sees Tod. Both fall down laughing.

"Life's one happy game!"

Suddenly, Amos Slade calls out from the distance, stopping the friends from continuing their plat. "Copper!"

Copper stops immediately. "Gee, I gotta go."

Copper heads over to Amos, who's looking quite mad.

Big Mama sighs. "If only the world wouldn't get in the way."

Amos points to the barrel, and Copper slinks inside.

"If only the people would just let you play. They say you're both being fools."

Copper looks to Amos and Chief for approval. He just gets frowns.

"You're breaking all the rules. They can't understand the magic of your wonderland."


	6. Chapter 6

The rooster crows in a new day on the farm.

Tod runs up to the fence separating the two farms from each other, calling for his friend to come and play.

"Copper!" he calls, wagging his bushy tail excitedly. The two had had so much fun together...Copper was the bestest friend he'd ever had.

Copper peeks out from within the barrel and sees Tod and starts to walk over but is startled by Chief's loud snoring.

He looks over to Tod, hesitant. He wanted to go play so badly…but what would the master think?

Tod gestures to him joyously, yapping. "Come on, Copper!"

Copper starts to sneak past Chief. He makes it and runs over to Tod. "Best of Friends" finishes playing. They then run off together and disappear in the distance.

A while later, the two were wrestling around in the dirt. After a long day of play, they were both resting for a bit.

"Copper? You're my very best friend."

Copper smiles warmly, his tail waggin. "And you're mine too, Tod."

"And we'll always be friends forever. Won't we?"

"Yeah. Forever."

Tod pushes Copper off of him. "Hey! Let's go swimmin'!"

Copper was already padding off. "Give me a head start, and I can beat ya!"

Copper runs ahead of Tod. They both jump into a nearby lake. Big Mama watches them swim from a tree, nearly getting splashed on.

As the two pups play, Amos, back at the farm, was trying to look for Copper - again.

"Dag nabit! That Copper pup's gone and strayed off again. Come on, Chief. If that little rascal's gonna make me a good huntin' dog, he's gotta learn to mind."

They walk off.

Back at the lake, Copper and Tod are splashing around. Suddenly, Copper hears a whistle. Amos appears over a small hill.

"Copper! Get over here!"

Amos whistles again. Copper and Tod continue playing.

Amos calls louder. "Copper!"

Copper sighs and crawls out of the lake. "Uh oh. I gotta go home."

"Do ya have to? We're having too much fun."

Copper shakes himself dry. "I gotta. He sounds awful mad."

"I'll see ya tomorrow. And don't forget!"

Copper runs home, smiling. "I won't!"


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Copper sighs sadly as Tod appears from around a bush.

"Hey Copper. What happened to ya? Why didn't you. . .?" He stops when he saw the rope that was tied around his friends next and attached to the barrel. "Golly! You're all tied up!"

Copper nods sadly. "Yeah. And it's no fun, neither. The master says I gotta stay home."

Tod was not about to be disheartened. "Well. We can play around here, then."

Tod starts to wrestle with Copper.

"Oh no! Not with old Chief over there."

Tod peers around Copper and sees Chief snoring in his barrel.

"Is that him making that awful noise?"

Copper nods. "He keeps me awake at night."

Tod starts to walk over to the barrel.

"Oh don't go in there! He can get awful mean! He's cranky."

Tod was amazed. "Gee willikers! Is he ever big!"

Tod moves over to where Chief's head is.

"His ears aren't as big as yours, Copper."

Copper whispers urgently. "That's not the part you gotta worry about."

Tod pulls down Chief's lips. "Wow! Look at those teeth!"

"That's the part you gotta worry about!"

Chief starts mumbling in his sleep.

"He's wakin' up! Got out, Tod!" Copper calls to his friend, kneeding the ground nervously with his paws.

Tod was too amused to listen. "No. He's having a dream. He's chasing somethin'."

Copper starts to shake in fear. He covers his eyes.

"It's a big old badger," Chief growls in his sleep.

Tod laughs. "Copper. He's chasing a badger."

Tod stifles a giggle.

Chief continues his talking. "No. It ain't a badger. It's a. . . it's a. . ."

Chief presses his nose up against Tod, pinning him to the side of the barrel. Inhaling Tod's scent deeply, Chief wakes up and his eyes flew wide.

"It's a fox. A fox!"

Chief starts barking and aggressively tries to get at Tod. Copper hides in his barrel. Tod hops out of Chief's barrel and runs. Chief tries to give chase but is stopped by the rope attached to his barrel. He pulls hard and drags the barrel along.

Copper looks after his friend as he sprints away. "Run, Tod! Run!"

Chief chases Tod into a chicken house and he sticks his head inside, not being able to fit his large body through the opening.

A flock of chickens pour out, with Tod running right behind. Amos Slade opens up a window and looks out. He sees the commotion and opens his mouth in dismay. Chief chases Tod around, scooping the chickens up in his barrel. Amos comes out of the house, carrying a shotgun and fires it.

Tod runs the other way. He sees Chief and runs back the original way. He runs under Amos. Amos keeps on firing but keeps on missing. He's then knocked off his feet by Chief. A shot strays upward. It nearly hits Dinky and Boomer, who are sitting in a tree. They take off and hide in a mailbox as Tod bounds off a tree.

Chief tries to keep on him, but his barrel's rope wraps around the tree and Chief is pulled off his feet. Tod climbs into the mailbox. Amos aims and fires at the mailbox, making a big hole in it as everybody scrambles out.

Tod bounds over a small stream. Chief chases, but his barrel catches on the water, and he is yanked back again. Tod stops and pants but suddenly hears the sound of a car starting. He looks and sees the widow in her car.

Chief snarls and stumbles toward Tod.

Tod takes off for the car but just misses it. He chases after it. Amos hops in his car and gives chase. Tod hops on a stone wall alongside the road and manages to catch up to the widow. He jumps as a shot barely misses him. The widow looks and sees Tod.

"Tod!" she cries, shocked.

She looks behind. Amos is still firing. Tod hops in the back of the car, where the widow is storing her milk containers. Amos takes aim and fires, putting holes in all the containers. Widow Tweed tries to maintain control of the car. Suddenly, she slams on the brakes, apparently fed up. She gets out and stands in the middle of the road, looking extremely angry. Amos stomps on the brakes, stopping just in front of her.

"Amos Slade, you trigger-happy lunatic!" She screeches, then raises her voice even louder. "Give me that gun!"

She snatches the gun away from him and cocks it. Amos Slade covers his eyes. A shot is heard, followed by a hissing noise. Amos looks.

"My radiator! Why you blasted female!" He gets out of his car. "I'll. . . I'll. . ."

She jabs the gun in his chest. "Hold it! Right there!"

Amos holds his hands up, concerned. "Watch it! That thing's loaded!"

She points the gun to the sky and shoots. Tod looks very frightened.

"Now it ain't loaded!" She throws the gun back to Amos.

"Dag nabit, woman! You're favorite fox was after my chickens!"

"Rubbish and poppycock! I don't believe it! He wouldn't hurt a thing!"

"You callin' me a liar, you muddle-headed female?! I saw it happen!"

Widow turns preachy as she continues to yell. "Amos Slade, that temper of yours is gonna get you into a lot of trouble someday!"

Amos turns even angrier at this. "Temper! Temper! Woman, you ain't seen my temper!"

He takes off his hat, throws it on the ground, and stomps on it.

"If I ever catch that fox on my property again, I'll blast him! And next time I won't miss!"


	8. Chapter 8

Tod looks out a partially open window, seeming rather sad. The widow is cooking something on the stove.

"Poor little tyke. It's a shame I have to keep him cooped up," she sighs sadly.

Tod walks over to the door and scratches at it. He then looks at the widow sadly.

"Tod, stop looking at me like that. It's not my fault, you know. You caused a lot of trouble yesterday."

Tod hears the sound of a dog barking. He scrambles up a chair and looks back out the window.

Widow glares and stops what she was doing. "Oh, now what are they up to?!"

She heads over to the window. "Huh! Why it looks like Amos is goin' on a huntin' trip."

She sees Amos loading up things onto his car.

"A long one from the looks of it. Hmph. Well good riddance."

She heads back to her stove.

Tod stays and continues to stare out the window, a look of sadness coming to his face. He glances back at Widow Tweed. She's busy at her stove. Tod secretly squeezes his body through the window and runs towards the other farm.

Meanwhile, Amos was trying to get his car started.

"Dog gone meddlin' female! Shootin' up my radiator!"

The car backfires.

"Dad blame it!" He kicks the car. "Get goin'!"

The car motors smoothly.

"Well. That's more like it. Keep runnin' old girl."

He heads over to Copper, who is tied up to his barrel and howling anxiously.

"Well, Copper. Me and old Chief are gonna teach you all about huntin'. Yes sir. And it's about time, too."

"Woof!" Copper barks.

Amos laughs. "That-a boy! Heh heh!"

He unties Copper.

"You're really gonna like trackin' down those varmints for me."

Copper barks and runs around excitedly. He then heads over to the car and hops in the front seat.

"Uh uh! Get in the back, half pint. You gotta earn your right to sit up front," Chief says proudly.

Copper stops and thinks. Then he excitedly hops in the back. Amos comes along, carrying his gun. "Well boys. We're gettin' outta here 'til next spring."

Tod appears from around a barrel and watches the car leave. As the car pulls out onto the road, Copper looks back. Seeing Tod there, he lets out a long, sad howl as the car disappears into the distance.

Big Mama suddenly floats down and lands next to Tod.

Big Mama: Tod. Honey? What are you doin' over here?

Tod looks towards the place where his friend had been sadly. "Gee. I just wanted to say goodbye to Copper. But I'm too late."

"Well what did you plan to do if you ran into old Chief?"

Tod frowns then shruggs, confident. "Aw Chief. I can outfox that dumb old dog any time."

Big Mama rolls her eyes.

"Tod! Now hold it just one minute! Didn't you learn anything yesterday? Now you listen good, Tod. Because it's either education or elimination!"

Tod looks at her in a confused manner.

"Now if you're so foxy and old Chief's so dumb, then why does the hound get the fox on the run? Because he's got the hunter, and the hunter's got the gun. Kablam! Elimination. Lack of Education.

Big Mama flies up and lands on a fence.

"If you pal around with that Copper hound, you'll wind up hangin' on the wall. Keep your nose to the wind, and you'll keep your skin. 'Cause you won't be home when the hunter comes to call!"

"Oh Big Mama. I know Copper would never track me down. Why old Copper, he's my best friend!"

"Ho ho! You're best friend! Now Copper's gonna do what he's been told. Suppose to chase a little fox into an old foxhole. Then along comes a hunter with a buckshot load. . ."

Boomer, sitting up in a tree, imitates carrying a gun.

"Ka-ka-kablam!"

Dinky acts out being shot.

"Elimination!" Dinky falls to the ground. "Lack of Education."

Big Mama gives the young fox a stern look. "You'd better believe it, Tod. Yes sirree."

"You mean Copper's gonna be my enemy?!"

Dinky gets up. "Hey kid! You'd better step over here and take a good look."

Dinky and Boomer fly over to some kind of shed and push it open. Inside are many different kinds of fur skins. A look of horror forms on Tod's face.

"W. . . why that's awful! Those poor things."

Tod's horror turns to sadness.

Big Mama looks at him, a little guilty. "I'm sorry, Tod."

She hugs him.

"Honey. Copper's gonna come back a trained huntin' dog. A real killer."

Tod looks up at Big Mama. "Oh no. Not my friend Copper. He won't ever change."

Big Mama sighs. "I hope you're right, Tod."

"And we'll keep on being friends forever. Won't we, Big Mama?"

She puts him down.

"Darlin'. Forever is a long, long time. And time has a way of changin' things."

Tod looks back at the barrels.

….The leaves start to fall and the season slowly changes to hard winter.

On a patch of snow, Squeeks slowly crawls out of the snow. A cold wind blows, and he starts to shiver. He then looks over and spots the widow's house. He crawls in its direction.

Dinky and Boomer are inside and old, makeshift scarecrow. They cower inside the coat, freezing a they brave the harsh winter winds.

Dinky shivers. "Jiminy. It sure turned cold!"

"I'm freezin' my b-b-b. . ."

"Hey! It's that fuzzy worm!" Dinky points. "Let's get him. Charge!"

Squeeks sees them coming. "Aah!"

Squeeks tries to dive into a snow bank but hits his head on something. He dives in again and succeeds. Dinky and Boomer dive in after him.

Boomer speaks from inside the snow. "Hey Dinky! Dinky quick! Over here!"

Boomer lifts his head out of the snow. Something is in his beak.

"I got him! I got him!"

He pulls out something wrapped in snow and the snow falls away.

It's Dinky.

"Do I look like worm?" He points. "That's who we're after!"

Squeeks crawls up the door and disappears into the keyhole.

"Come on!"

They fly up to the keyhole and perch on a shovel. Dinky peers inside. Squeeks is warming himself by the stove.

Dinky glowered at him. "Look at that little creep. Warm and cozy by the fire."

"Let me take a look!" Boomer looks into the keyhole.

"Now how do you like that g-g-guy?! Snug as a bug!"

Squeeks pulls a sock over his body and lies down in a plant pot.

Boomer snorts. "While we're out here freezin' our b-b-beaks off!"

"Brr. Well yakin' and shiverin' ain't gettin' us anywhere. We'll get that no good worm when we come back!" Dinky takes off.

"Ooh sh-sh-shucks!"

Boomer flies off too and they fly over to Big Mama's tree.

Dinky nods as he passes. "So long, Big Mama."

"Yeah. We're goin' south for the winter."

Big Mama looks after them fondly. "Goodbye boys! See you next spring!"


	9. Chapter 9

Amos and Chief were making their way through a forest. It was the dead of winter and very cold.

Copper tries his best to keep up.

As he's hopping along, he falls into a patch of deep snow. Chief rolls his eyes, goes back, and picks him up. Chief then continues with Copper in his mouth.

More weeks passed as Copper continued his lessons as well as grow.

As they move along, Chief spots a rabbit. He growls, and Copper imitates. Chief continues growling, but Copper playfully chases after the rabbit. The rabbit runs and hops onto some frozen water. Copper tries to follow but slips and falls on the ice.

A few more months go by and soon, the winter begins to recede and the first warm breath of spring warms the air, despite the fact that a thick layer of snow still coated the earth.

Copper has now become a full grown, slender tan Coonhound dog. He was a handsome dog, with long floppy chocolate ears, a large brown spot on his back, small brown spots on his both legs. He had a white muzzle, front and back paws, underbelly, and tail tip, and both black nose and eye pupils. There were brown circles around his eyes and he now wore blue collar.

He starts sniffing the snow, then goes off in one direction while Chief looks at him funny and heads off in another direction. Copper then reaches a bush and howls. A flock of birds fly out. Amos raises his gun and shoots, hitting one. Amos then walks over to Copper and pets him. Chief looks really sore.

When winter finally ended and spring was in full swing, it was time for the family to head home. With lessons and training over, Copper was a fully skilled and lethal hunting dog now.

Amos is tying down a pile of skins to his car.

Chief walks over to the car's front seat and is surprised to see Copper sitting there, proud and with his head held high.


	10. Chapter 10

Big Mama emerges from her hole, carrying a pile of leaves. She tosses the leaves off the tree. Suddenly, she hears laughter. She looks down and sees Tod, who's all grown now and covered with leaves. He was now a slender red fox with a long bushy tail and now wore a brown collar.

She flies down and lands on a nearby fence.

"Well look who's here."

Tod shakes the leaves off.

Big Mama starts laughing as she helps him brush of a few more leaves. "Oh my goodness. Ha ha! I'm sorry, Tod honey. I hope. . ."

"Hiya, Big Mama!"

Dinky and Boomer fly on screen, landing on the fence.

"We're back! We flew all the way!"

Boomer smiles as he lands next to the motherly owl. "Oh yeah. We did. We did."

"Welcome home, boys!" She walks over and gives them a big hug. "You know? It's been kinda lonesome around here without you little rascals."

Tod stands, swishing his tail happily. "Hi fellas!"

Boomer looks down, a little surprised. "Hey! Who's that?! Who's that?!"

Dinky flies down and lands on Tod's head. "Hey! This can't be that scrawny little squirt we found by the fence post. Can it? Come on."

"I can't believe my eyes!"

Tod smirks. "Ha ha! Aw. It's me all right."

Dinky flies up to Tod's neck level and notices a collar. "Hey lookie there. He's got himself a real fancy collar."

Boomer picks up Tod's tail and throws it over his shoulders. "Hey hey hey! Just look at this bushy tail. B-b-b-beautiful!"

Everybody laughs as Tod pulls his tail back. "Ha ha! Aw come on. Cut it out. You guys are always teasing me."

Just then, the front door to the widow's home opens, and she walks out, carrying her plant. It appears to be wilted.

She puts the pot down on a bench and Squeeks appears from within the pot.

"Hey it's him! It's him! Squeeks!" Dinky looks down at Tod. "We'll see ya later, kid. We gotta take care of some unfinished business."

Dinky flies off, followed by Boomer.

The widow looks down at her wilted plant. "I can't understand. It was so healthy."

She reaches over for a watering can. Squeeks gasps as she pours some water into the pot. He is now floating in water.

"There. That ought to perk it up."

She walks off and Squeeks lifts his head out of the water and gasps for air. He then sneezes and flies backward into a drain pipe. Dinky and Boomer land on the drain pipe.

"Now where'd he go? Where'd he go?"

They both look inside the pipe.

"He's goin' up the drain pipe! I'll head him off!" Dinky flies to the top of the pipe. "Okay, Boomer! We've got him trapped! Let him have it!"

Boomer starts hammering into the pipe. It vibrates like crazy, and Dinky becomes dizzy. Squeeks appears from within the pipe, slightly stunned. He then spots Dinky, screams, and escapes. Dinky regains consciousness as Boomer reaches the top of the drain pipe.

"Did you get him?"

"Get him?"

"No, I didn't."

"Neither did I."

Squeeks has crawled onto a telephone line.

Dinky sees him. "Come on! Look!"

Squeeks sees them coming and squeezes his body under some kind of glass cap.

"Hoo hoo hoo! Caterpillar under glass. Oh boy! "Boomer taps at the glass, and both he and Dinky are zapped by electricity.

"Holy!"

"Smoke!"

Squeeks escapes and continues along the telephone line. He periodically gives off a flash of light as he crawls along.

"Hey. Hey. How's he do that, Dinky? How's he do that?"


	11. Chapter 11

Amos was driving down the road towards his farm, singing a song his father had taught him long ago with his two dogs by his side.

"I ain't got no job. I'm a huntin' man. And I'd rather have a dog than a dollar. So let's go banjo ring-a-ling-a-ding ho! Give a little hoot and a holler! Ha ha!"

He stops singing for a moment and looks back to see Chief, looking on grumpily with his head on his paws.

"Aw come on, Chief. Just 'cause you're not sitting up front, that ain't no reason to be a sore head. Shucks. If it weren't for you, Copper'd never turned into a good huntin' dog. Yes sirree. Now I've got me the best two dogs there is. Right, Copper?"

Copper starts barking.

"Ha ha! Isn't he somethin', Chief?"

Amos starts howling along with Copper and Chief covers up his ears.

Tod's ears flicked up at the sound of the familiar howling he heard, growing closer and closer. Nerves prickling through him, he comes running up to the fence that had once divided him from his best friend, who he had not seen hide nor hair of in many months.

"Look, Big Mama! Copper's back!" His smile wavers when he see's the big hunting dog as his master drove up. "Heh. Boy, has he grown big."

Big Mama saw his look. "Uh huh. And look at that big pile of skins he helped track down."

"I know, Big Mama. He's a huntin' dog now."

"You're right. And you're a fox."

Tod still refused to believe that his friend - his best friend, Copper - would become his enemy. "Oh that won't make any difference. Copper's gonna be glad to see me."

"Well, honey. Just don't get your hopes too high."

"Look, don't worry. I'll be careful. I'll go over tonight when Chief and the hunter are sound asleep."


	12. Chapter 12

That night, Chief and Copper settled down for the night in their barrels.

Copper was drinking water, lapping it up until he'd had his fill. He then steps back to scratch his ears.

"Boy. It's great to be back home. Isn't it, Chief?"

"Hmph."

"Aw come on, Chief. You aren't still sore. Are ya?" He pauses. "Hey! Hey come on! Let's scuffle! We ain't scuffled in a long time! Come on, Chief! Let's have some fun!"

Copper starts to wrestle with Chief.

the old dog fights back halfheartedly, amused. "Oh lay off, Copper. You overgrown pup, you."

Copper starts to pull on Chief's ear.

Chief growls, serious now. "Oh let go! Dag nabit! Let go I say!"

Chief throws Copper off of him.

"Okay okay," he says, hurt.

"You know that was your trouble on the hunt."

"Aw come on, old timer! You treat me like a pup. You know that? I think I've done real good trackin' down them varmints for you."

"Smellin' and trackin' ain't enough. You gotta think nasty!"

Copper lies down in his barrel, amused. "Okay okay. I know. Heh. I know."

Later into the night, Chief and Copper were deep asleep. Suddenly, Copper hears a noise and wakes up.

He looks over to a nearby bush and sniffs the air just as Tod emerges.

"Copper. Hey Copper. It's me. Tod," the fox said, his voice lowered to a whisper, just loud enough for Copper to hear.

Copper's tail immediately began to wag as he lays eyes on his dear friend. "I thought that was you, Tod. I-I heard you comin'. Boy. You've really grown."

"You have too, Copper. I saw you comin' back with Chief and the hunter."

Copper pauses, a slight frown on his face as his family suddenly came to mind once again. What was he doing? Associating with a fox? A fox! The very creature he had been trained to hunt and kill. But this was….Tod. Tod wasn't like the other creatures...was he? But his master, and Chief, they would kill him on sight. He couldn't betray them like this. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair to Tod to put him in danger anymore. He had to keep this fox safe, from any harm.

"It's great to see you, Tod. But you know you. . . you shouldn't be over here. You. . . you're gonna get us both into a lot of trouble."

Tod was visibly hurt. "Hey look I. . . I just wanted to see you. We. . . we're still friends. Aren't we?"

Copper pauses again, hesitating. He didn't want to hurt him...but he had to be kept safe. "Tod. Those days are over. I-I'm a huntin' dog now."

A look of extreme shock comes over Tod's face. Then, after a moment of absorbing the hound dog's words, his shock then turns to sadness.

"You'd better get out of here before old Chief wakes up."

"Aw Chief." Tod says sadly, then gave a slight, nervous laugh. "He doesn't worry me."

Chief suddenly wakes up.

"Tod, I'm serious. You're fair game as far as he's concerned."

Tod starts to leave, but suddenly Chief starts barking viciously. A light shines on Tod.

It's Amos. He's standing at the door and carrying a gun.

Knowing that if he stayed it would only result in his death, he shot off like a bullet into the night. He had been wrong. There was nothing left here for him. He didn't want to believe it, but the Copper he knew was gone. This was the new Copper. Dangerous. Lethal.

And ready to end him.

"It's that fox again!" Amos lifts his gun and fires.

Tod keeps running, to terrified to look back.

"After him, boys! Go get him!" Amos yells as he sets his dogs loose.

Tod runs past some tall grass and leaps over a fallen log. A shot is fired, but it misses. Tod runs through some more tall grass, Chief right behind him.

Tod sidesteps and hides in a patch of grass as the hunting dog darted past. He stops thought, sending the fox's presence. For a moment, he doesn't see Tod. Thinking it is safe, Tod slowly gets up to head in another direction. Suddenly, Chief spots him and chases.

Tod finds himself in open and rocky terrain. He climbs up a steep slope, jumps onto some loose boulders, and continues climbing. Chief slows down a bit when he jumps on the boulders, and they give way. He manages to jump and find more secure footing and continues the chase. At the top of the slope, Tod finds a stack of lumber. He hides underneath, and Chief runs right by, oblivious.

Tod peeks his head out and looks around, extremely tired from his fast sprint through the night. He was running out of time, sooner or later, Chief would pick up his trail and come looking for him.

Suddenly, he hears someone approaching and goes back underneath the pile.

It's Copper, but he passes by, unaware.

Tod has just breathed a breath of relief when suddenly, the hound returned, his head close to Tod's, his eyes locked straight with his. tod cringed back in fear, his fur fluffed. Copper had always been an excellent tracker, even as a pup. And he knew Tod's scent almost as well as he knew his own.

Amos's voice broke through the thick tension between the two animals. "Copper! Copper! Copper!"

Copper looks back and sees Amos coming.

He then looks back at Tod, who has a pleading look on his face.

Copper was conflicted for a moment. Despite how hard it was to go against his master…he just couldn't let Tod die.

"Tod I. . . I don't want to see you get killed!"

Amos was drawing closer. "Track him down, boy!"

Copper huffs, hurt by what he had to do. "I'll let you go this one time!"

Thinking fast, Copper steps away, howls, and leads Amos in a false direction.

Amos follows Copper, completely faithful in his dog, which only made Copper feel even more guilty. "Don't lose him!"

Tod waits a moment, then crawls out from underneath the lumber pile and runs onto some nearby train tracks. As he runs along the tracks, Chief suddenly jumps out in front of him. Tod reverses direction and heads towards a bridge.

Amos sees them from below. "There they are! Old Chief's got him on the run!"

Suddenly, a train appears from around a bend. Tod gasps in horror and ducks. The train sails right over him, but Chief is still in the way.

"Jump, Chief! Jump!" Amos calls to his dog, panicked.

Chief is struck by the train, and he falls off the bridge. When the train passes, Tod gets up and looks over. Chief struggles to get up, but he is too weak. Copper comes running up to his friend and mentor, splashing through the small creek till he reaches him.

"Chief! Chief?"

Copper nudges him but he doesn't respond.

Copper, thinking the worst, looks away, horrified. "Oh no! No!"

What had he done!

Copper looks around anxiously, then looks up and sees Tod still standing there.

You…

Copper growls, hate burning through him. Some friend he was! He knew what Chief meant to Copper! He was responsible for this. He let him live and this was how that little mangy, flea-bitten squirrel repays him!

Copper howled up to the fox, loud and angry. "Tod! If it's the last thing I do I'll. . . I'll get you for this!"

As of that moment, the two were no longer friends. Copper would never rest again until his teeth were deeply embedded in Tod's throat.


	13. Chapter 13

Widow Tweed walked through the forest, looking for her beloved friend. After she'd heard the gunshots, she knew immediately what was going on and the Tod was in danger. Ever since then, she has been wandering around, fearful she would find his dead body laying somewhere.

She looks around as she walks.

"Tod! Tod?! Tod!"

Tod appears finally and comes running.

He jumps into her arms, feeling safe and sound as she hugs him tightly.

"Oh Tod. Thank heaven you're safe."

Together, the two make their way back to the farm, where Tod would be safe from anymore hunting killers or bullets from a gun.

Back at Amos's farm, Copper is at his barrel, his head low as guilt wrecked havoc inside his mind.

Amos suddenly comes storming out and Copper watches as his master passed, heading straight for Tod's farm.

In another life, Copper would have been worried for the fox, would have wanted to warn him. But not now. Now, Tod deserved whatever came to him and much more.

Copper sighs to his self as his companion entered his mind again. "Poor Chief. And it's all my fault. I shouldn't have let Tod go!"

Big Mama, Dinky, and Boomer are sleeping on a branch as Amos stormed past. Suddenly, Dinky wakes up and sees Amos. Dinky then wakes up Big Mama.

"Big Mama! Wake up! Wake up! There's trouble!"

Inside the widow's house, she is knitting, and Tod is sleeping in a basket.

Suddenly, Tod wakes up and listens. He then grows frightened and hides behind the stove, his heart pounding as he heard the approaching noises of his doom.

Widow is surprised. "Tod. What is it?"

She hears loud knocking on her door.

"What on earth?"

"Widow! Get out here!" Amos hisses, angry.

She opens the door, just as angry. "Why Amos! What are you. . .?!"

"Where is he?! Where is he?! I know he's in there!"

"Now just a minute! You can't come barging onto my property, Amos Slade!"

She slams the door shut.

"That fox of yours almost killed Chief, and I'm gonna get him!"

The widow locks the door.

"You can't keep him locked up forever!"

She sighs sadly and looks at Tod, who is still hiding under the stove.


	14. Chapter 14

Widow Tweed looked upon an old photo on her mirror of her precious fox celebrating his first birthday as she fastened a hat to her head.

She glances sadly at the picture one last time, then went to go wake up Tod.

He yawns and smiles as she picks him up from his basket.

Carrying him out of the house, she gets in her car and puts Tod in the passenger seat. Tod is glowing with joy, but the widow is very much unhappy. She drives down the road in silence.

Tod is staring back at the house as they travel down the road. He didn't need Copper anymore, he had this woman, the one who had taken him in and saved his life. This woman had always loved him and would never betray him like Copper had.

He looks out the side as Widow Tweed thinks to herself.

"We met, it seems, such a short time ago. You looked at me, needing me so. Yet from your sadness, our happiness grew. And I found out I needed you too!"

Tod romps around the car.

"I remember how we used to play. Ha ha!"

Tod licks her.

Widow becomes more sad as she realizes how close their time together was ending. "I recall those rainy days."

Tod's joy fades as he notices the sadness on her face. A mix of sadness and concern falls on his face.

"The fire's glow that kept us warm. And now I find we're both alone. Goodbye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end. But in my heart's the memory, and there you'll always be."

She lovingly pets him, then drives until she reaches a spot in the forest. She stops the car and carries Tod out.

Tod looks a little confused.

He gives her a lick, and she hugs him tightly. She puts him down and takes his collar. She then hugs him one last time and gets up to go back to the car.

Tod tries to follow as the chorus begins, but the widow sadly shakes her head "no". She continues towards the car. Tod tries to get up one more time but then, reluctantly, stays. With a tearful glance back at Tod, she drives down the road.

A sad and stunned Tod watches her as she leaves.

The one person he had left...the one person he cared about and loved...was gone.

It starts to rain.

Tod sadly takes shelter underneath a tree and watches the wildlife for a moment. A squirrel leaps into the branches above him, causing some water drops to fall on Tod's head. Tod glances up in anger then sadly moves on.

A porcupine watches him as he looks for shelter. He sees a hole that looks promising but finds that it is occupied. He turns around and leaves. A loud thunderclap frightens him, and he darts into a burrow. He quickly backs out and a badger appears.

"Hold it, sonny! Back off! Consarnit! Wh-where do you think you're goin'?" he growls, angry.

Tod backs away, nervous. "Oh. Oh excuse me. I-I-I was just trying to. . ."

"You barge in on somebody's house like you own it! Tarry hootin' around the woods! Wakin' up folks in the middle of the night!"

"I honestly didn't know anybody lived here. And I. . ."

"Well, you know it now! Now get of my property! Go on! Beat it!"

Tod slowly backs away.

"I've been watching you, sir. You can stay with me if you want to…"

Tod turns around. It's the porcupine.

He wasn't about to turn down a dry place to sleep, even though he wasn't too fond of sleeping next to quills. "That's very nice of you."

"C-come with me."

Tod follows the porcupine, his heart breaking inside all over again.


	15. Chapter 15

Amos is unhooking Copper from his barrel as he watches the widow drives to her house, the little demon fox absent from her side. It didn't take him long to put the pieces together.

"She dropped that fox off at the game preserve. We'll get him. We'll get him!"

He heads back to the house with Copper following. Chief watches from a window. He then limps back to his pillow and gets comfortable.

"Well now. If you gotta have a busted leg, this is the way to do it. Good food. Soft pillow. Warm stove. Sure beats sleepin' in that barrel," the old dog says.

He hears a door open.

"Well now. Here comes visitors to see the invalid."

He lets out a fake whine. Amos and Copper pass right by.

"How do you like that? They didn't even ask how I'm feelin'." Chief limps into the next room, whining.

"Chief. Get back in there before I break your other leg," Amos snapps, too intent on his revenge to pay any mind. Copper on the other hand was shocked and his heart clenced at the sight of the old dog.

Chief limps back as Amos turns to Copper.

"Copper. Copper. Lookie here."

Amos sets a trap on the floor.

"Now when that fox comes traipsin' along, suspectin' nothin'. . ."

He picks up a stick and slowly taps it along the floor towards the trap. Finally, he touches the trap with the stick. The trap snaps shut, breaking the stick.


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, the air was cool and clear as Big Mama flew over the forest.

"Tod! Tod?" she calls as she lands on a tree. "Whew. Oh boy. These old wings ain't what they used to be."

She stretches a wing out then slumps down. She notices her belly.

"Big Mama, you'd better lose a few pounds."

Suddenly, she sees something and gets up.

Uh oh! Uh oh! There he is! There he is!"

Big Mama flew up, delighted to see him again. She had been so very worried. "Tod! Tod!"

The fox looks behind. It's not Tod but a vixen.

A beautiful vixen.

"Oh hi, Big Mama!" she said as Big Mama pauses for only a moment.

"Oh it's you, Vixey!" she says. She was very happy to see the female, but at the moment, she was a little more concerned for her other fox.

"Hey. What brings you way out here?"

"I'm lookin' for a fox named Tod. He's new here in the forest."

"Oh, new? Um. Well, what does he look like?"

"Oh, he's young. About your age." Suddenly, she gets an idea. "And handsome."

Vixey immediately perks her soft ears up, interested. "Handsome? Oh! Say. . . Gee, he sure sounds nice. Uh. Um. I'm not doing anything. I. . . I'll help you find him."

Big Mama laughs at her eager attitude. "Ha ha! Come on. He's gotta be around here somewhere."

Big Mama flies off, and Vixey follows.

Back at the hole in the tree where Tod has taken shelter, the fox is still sleeping soundly inside.

The porcupine moves Tod's tail aside and gets up, still a little sleepy. He yawns and stretches. His quills then accidentally poked into Tod, and he wakes in shock.

"Aah! What happened?! Where am I?!" he screams, terrified.

Tod backs up and falls out of the tree.

"Aah!"

He shakes his head and finds himself sitting on an entrance to a burrow. Something pushes him off.

It's the badger.

The badger looks around in anger and sees Tod.

"So! It's you again! You've barged in on me last night! And now you. . .!"

"I. . . I didn't mean to."

"Just look at the mess you made."

Tod looks just as the entrance collapses.

"Dad granit! You clumsy bonehead!"

The badger pushes Tod into a ditch as the fox winces guiltily.

Tod looks at up, apologetic. "Sorry. It was an accident."

"Excuses. Excuses."

The porcupine who had been kind enough to give Tod refuge for the night, speaks up for him. "Mr. Digger, sir. It was so too an accident."

The badger turns to the porcupine.

"You keep out of this, you walking pin cushion!"

The porcupine flinches, then he frowns. "Uh. You shouldn't be so grumpy to someone who's new in the neighborhood!"

"A stranger, eh?" The badger turns to Tod. "Why don't you go back where you came from?!"

Tod pauses and frowns. "Wha. . ."

He had no home now. He was alone.

He stops and then rolls his eyes. He turns around and starts to leave.

He then pauses and looks back for a moment.

The badger still stares after him. "Well go on! Get goin'! Get!"

Tod sadly continues on his way.

The porcupine sighs and shakes his head.

Tod is still sadly walking along when Big Mama and Vixey secretly stroll up and watch him from a distance.

Tod finally stops some place and sits down, feeling lost, directionless, and hurt by what Copper had done and the fact that the widow had left him all alone.

"Aw. Gosh he seems so. . . I don't know. . . so downhearted, Big Mama," Vixey says, feeling sorry for him.

Big Mama pats her on the head gently. "Well. You can't blame him, honey. He was dropped out here and left all alone without a friend in the world."

"W. . . You know maybe there's something I can do. You know. Cheer him up."

Big Mama smiles. "Honey! You just said the magic words!"

Big Mama pulls Vixey out into an opening. She then whispers something into her ear. Vixey laughs, mildly surprised and embarrassed.

"Wha. . . Oh, but Big Mama. I don't know."

"Darlin'! Don't move. You look beautiful!"

Vixey grows even more embarrassed. "Thank you."

Big Mama walks over to Tod. "Mornin', Tod!"

Tod looks up sadly. "Oh. Hello, Big Mama."

"Last night was pretty miserable for you. Wasn't it, honey?"

"Just terrible!"

Big Mama smiles. "Cheer up! And look around."

She gestures in the direction of Vixey, smiling inside. She knew that the two would hit it off...they were perfect for each other.

Tod doesn't get the clue and starts to walk away. Big Mama puts a wing around him, stopping him.

"The forest is beautiful this morning."

Tod sighs. "After last night, nothin' looks beautiful."

He glances up and spots Vixey, freezing him in his tracks. His eyes widen hugely as he lays eyes on the beautiful creature before him.

Vixey is sitting in the morning light, looking exceptionally beautiful and entirely enchanting.

Tod was beyond elated. "Wow! Who. . . who is. . . is that?"

Tod's mouth is wide open as he stares.

Big Mama speaks casually and gently closes his mouth. "Oh. Just another fox. A lady fox."

"Golly! Is she beautiful! I wonder what her name is?"

"Well. Why don't you go ask her?"

"Yeah! Yeah I guess I will!"

He starts to walk over to Vixey, still making goo goo eyes.

"I'll. . . I'll go up to her, and I'll say. . . you're the most gorgeous. . . the most beautiful f-f-f. . . I've never seen anyone. . . anywhere. . . I'll say. . ."

He finally reaches her. She faces him and smiles.

"Hi," he says simply, lovesick.

Vixey smiles again, looking very angelic to Tod. "Hello."

Her voice was like the breath of spring...

At same time, they spoke again.

"Big Mama told me uh. . ."

"I just happened to be. . ."

Vixey giggles. "You know. Um."

Tod still looks very much drunk with love. "May I call you by your first name?"

Big Mama is watching with delight from a tree.

"Oh! Oh sure! Why not?"

Tod smiles, amused. "Th-thanks. But wh. . . what is your first name?"

"Vixey."

Tod murmurs the word as if it were a prayer. "Vixey."

"Uh huh."

"My name is. . . is, uh. . . Tod."

"Tod? That's a. . . that's a nice name. Tod."

Boomer and Dinky are now with Big Mama.

"Well it looks like that farm boy is makin' it big with her. Hoo hoo!" Boomer chuckles.

Big Mama grabs Boomer's beak. "Shh! Now just keep it down."

Vixey smiles at Tod again and moves to a nearby stream. "Oh! Tod, you know something? This stream is just full of trout. D-do you think you can catch one?"

"One what?"

"One what? Fish! Silly." She giggles as Tod comes to his senses.

"Oh. Oh yeah! Oh yeah." he straightens, confident. "My dear young lady."

He jumps on a log floating in the stream. "You happen to be looking at an expert fisher fox!"

Big Mama shakes her head in slight dread. "Oh Tod. Tod. Don't overdo it."

"I know all the tricks. In fact I. . . I never miss."

Big Mama looks to the sky, pleading. "Please! Let him catch a fish!"

"Uh oh! Here comes a whopper! Now. Watch closely."

As the fish swims by, Tod tries to swipe at it. He misses, succeeding only in getting Vixey wet. The fish swims into the log, and Tod tries to follow it. He falls into the water. The log becomes vertical as he tries to chase the fish. He splashes around and struggles trying to catch the slippery thing inside the log.

Vixey watches on, concerned. "Tod. Do. . . do you need help?"

"No. No I-I-I do it this way all. . . all the. . . all the. . . time!"

The log falls over, and Tod falls back in the water. He emerges, carrying a stick in his mouth.

"I got him!"

Boomer is laughing hysterically. "Oh that farm boy! He don't know nothin' about f-f-fishin'! You're gonna hook her that way!"

Everybody laughs, including Vixey, much to Tod's horror.

"Oh gosh! Tod! You're the funniest thing I ever saw!"

Tod rolls his eyes, hurt. He'd had enough of the cruel reality of the forest. He wanted….he wanted to go home, wherever home was.

"Go ahead. . . go ahead and laugh! You're like everyone else around here!" he hisses, angry.

Vixey was still laughing, her thin sides heaving. "I'm sorry. I can't help it! You were so funny!"

"So I can't fish!" Tod climbs back on land. "You're a silly. . . empty-headed. . . female!"

Vixey glares, angry but soft. "Hey just a minute! I mean you've got a nerve! Why don't you grow up?!"

Big Mama shakes her head and walks over to Tod. "Tod! That's no way to talk to Vixey!

Tod shakes himself dry."

"Aw raspberries! I've had it!" he whines, plooping down with a huff.

"Honey. Don't stay mad. You gotta be natural. That's the trick. Can't you see?"

Tod glances back at Vixey who looks back and makes eye contact with Tod.

She quickly turns her nose up and Tod shakes his head angrily.

After a moment, he then reluctantly looks back at Vixey as she makes brief eye contact again. Tod smiles but she turns her nose up again.

Tod moves off and Vixey curiously glances back.

He notices a flower and smiles and picks up the flower in his mouth, bringing the flower over to Vixey.

She finally offers one of her charming smiles.

Tod presents the flower to her as she sniffs it then sneezes. This causes Tod to sneeze as well. Vixey gets close to Tod and starts to cuddle up against him and his eyes widen in surprise. Suddenly, Vixey catches herself. She smiles, embarrassed, and pulls away. Tod now gives her his affection.

Dinky and Boomer start laughing.

Big Mama turns to them quickly. "Shh!"

She tries to shoo them away.

Dinky protests. "But Big Mama. . ."

"It's just gettin' interesting! Hoo hoo hoo!"

She urges them along. Reluctantly, they leave.

When they were gone, Vixey looks at Tod. "Tod. I. . . I just know you're gonna love the forest. Listen. Come on. Let me show you around."

Tod would have followed her over a cliff if she'd asked him to. "Sure!"

She walks over to a stream then looks back at Tod.

"Come on."

Tod follows.

Vixey gracefully bounds across the stream while Tod splashes across. Vixey giggles. The scene changes, and they are now walking side by side. They spot a family of quails.

Vixey is delighted at the sight of the tiny babies. "Look!"

She counts the chicks as they hop across a little stream in front of them.

"1. . . 2. . . 3, 4, 5, 6. . ." The final chick stumbles across. 7! Ha ha! Oh."

She looks up, thinking joyously. "I think six would be just right."

Tod is lost. "Six?"

They continue walking.

"Six what?"

Vixey giggles.

The pair walked a while longer and eventually come to a waterfall with a lake in front. Tod and Vixey enter and head towards the water's edge. They then sit and cuddle some more. Life in the forest was turning out far better than Tod could have ever hoped for…


	17. Chapter 17

Copper looked at a warning sign on a wire fence.

Amos read it as he brushes his hands over the sharp barbs. "No hunting. Well now. We ain't gonna do none of that. Are we, Copper?"

He kneels down and pulls out a pair of scissors.

"We're just gonna get us a no-good fox. Ha ha ha!"

He snips the bottom wire of the fence and lets Copper slide through.

This was it, the hound thought to his self. This was where Tod was.

"All right, boy. Get trackin'. Smell him out."

Copper enters the forest, and Amos follows. After a long while of walking with his nose to the ground, he found something that gave him an idea. Copper and Amos had reached a stream.

Grinning nastily inside, he growls and Amos walks up.

"Whatcha got there, Copper?"

Amos puts down some traps and checks the ground.

"Good work, boy. He'll be comin' right through here headin' for water. But he won't be drinkin' any."

Copper growled again and scanned the trees around them with calculating, narrowed eyes.

Where are you hiding Tod…?


	18. Chapter 18

The next day, Tod and Vixey emerged from their den nestled under the roots of a large tree.

Tod pokes his head out then completely hops out and stretches in the pale dawn light. Vixey slowly crawls out of the hole as Tod looks around, glowing with joy.

"What a beautiful morning, Vixey!"

Vixey approaches Tod as he looks at her adoringly.

"You know I've never been happier."

Vixey was ecstatic at his words. "Oh Tod. Me too."

Vixey nuzzles Tod then prances away, laughing joyously. Laughing, Tod follows, and together they walk through the forest.

After prancing around for a bit, the pair decided to go down to the creek to have a drink. As they made their way there, they chat about their lives and pasts and how they each had come to the forest.

As Vixey approaches the drinking area, she stops laughing and becomes concerned. She looks around, sensing that something was off and wrong. The forest here seemed dark...dangerous.

Tod continues walking, completely oblivious.

"Tod. Tod, wait a minute."

He stops and turns to look back at her. "What is it, Vixey?"

"I don't wanna go in there. It's too quiet."

Tod rolls his eyes in amusement. "Aw Vixey."

Tod walks into the area, positive there's nothing wrong. He continues walking while Vixey stays behind.

"Tod. Be careful," she begs, concerned.

Tod cautiously looks around as he walks. Slowly, he grows more and more afraid. Tod rounds a bend. Amos is hiding behind a rock, his gun ready. As Tod walks along, he just barely misses stepping in a trap.

He stops and looks around, finally sensing that something was wrong. Vixey was right...it was too quiet, far too quiet.

Something was wrong.

Copper…he thought, just as Amos cocks his gun.

Tod grows alert.

Quickly looking around, he steps backwards and sets off a trap. He jumps and breaks into a run, setting off more traps. Thankfully, all of them miss.

Amos aims and fires but misses.

He fires and misses again as Copper chases after Tod.

"Dad blast it! He's gettin' away!" Amos snarls furiously.

Tod reaches Vixey and both broke into a fast sprint. "Quick, Vixey!"

They flew through the forest as fast as they could, heading straight for the only safe haven they knew as Copper thunders after them through the forest leaves.

After a long chase, they gained enough ground for Tod to stop briefly. Tod turns to Vixey quickly.

"Go on! Head for the burrow!"

Vixey nods and runs off to safety as Tod climbs up onto a nearby rock. He gets into a fighting position as Copper approaches. He leaps down in front of Copper as the hound almost shoots past.

They circle each other, both growling and snarling, their fur bristled in a menacing way as saliva dribbled from their sharp canines. They were savage, wild, and dangerous. Copper wasn't the only deadly one now.

You should have stayed on the farm friend, Tod thought. That place is your turf...this is mine now, and no one is going to harm me or my Vixey.

Copper lunges first and Tod dodges. Tod then jumps up and bites down on Copper's neck hard until the fox tasted his enemy's blood. The taste only spurred him on, as did Copper yelps. Unfortunately, he could not satisfy his desire for greed as the hunter was quickly approaching. Knowing it was now or never, he made his escape.

Copper, furious now, continues chasing, hellbent on ending the fox.

Finally, Tod reaches the burrow and escapes inside, protecting his mate from harm. Copper starts tearing at the entrance and shovels further and further inside, biting and snarling the entire way.

Tod glares at him as he places himself between Vixey and Copper. "Quick, Vixey! Out the back!"

They head towards the back entrance. As they reach it, they look out and around. Suddenly, Vixey spots Amos aiming his gun at them.

Vixey gasps alarmed. "Tod!"

They both scramble inside as the shot misses and escape deeper into the burrow as shots ricochet around inside. They face Copper again, who's still trying to claw his way in, his eyes blazing with fire and anger.

Vixey was beyond terrified. "Oh! Oh no, Tod!"

Tod growls, rage boiling through him and lunges and bites down hard on one of Copper's front paws. Copper yelps and backs out, shaking the pain and blood away before he then continues digging. At the back entrance, Amos is piling up some dead grass onto the hole. He then lights a bundle on fire and lays it on the pile. He then takes off his hat and fans the fire. The flames shoot inside the burrow.

"Heh heh heh!" Amos gets up and heads for the front. "Copper! Copper!"

Copper looks up, pausing at his master's command.

"We got 'em now for sure! This is their only way out!"

He points his gun at the hole, and Copper growls.

"Steady, boy. Steady. Get ready."

Back inside the burrow, black smoke was choking the foxes, smothering them.

"Tod!" Vixey coughs from the smoke. "We're trapped!"

Some burning embers nearly fall on top of them.

"Tod, I'm scared!"

Tod thought quickly. He had to get her out of there before they both were either burned to death or shot to bits. "Quick, Vixey! This is our only chance!"

They rush towards the fire and escape unharmed before taking off into the trees again.

Amos was shocked. "No! No, I don't believe it!"

They run as Copper chases once more, flying after them.

They climb some rocks towards the top of a waterfall. At the top, they stop and look around. Tod leaps on top of a rock then jumps onto a tree that had fallen and formed a bridge in front of the falls. Vixey does the same. They then disappear off into the mis.

Copper arrives and starts sniffing around, trying to find the scent. He gets up on top of the rock and sniffs around, trying to figure out where his prey had gone.

Suddenly, a rank smell hit his nostrils, one he had learned to respect and fear well. A look of shock forms on his face as Amos comes running up.

"Copper! We've trapped him now!"

Amos aims his gun.

Suddenly, a large bear appears from within the bushes. The bear is a gigantic and slender beast with burly, black fur, red piercing eyes and silver hair. A beast to truly be frightened of.

A look of fear falls on Amos' face. With shaky hands, he raises his gun and fires. The shot merely nicks the bear on the shoulder. The bear growls and lumbers forward. Amos struggles to reload the gun, but the bear knocks it out of his hands and he tumbles down the slope. The gun gets caught on a tree sapling as the bear chases after him. At the bottom of the slope, Amos gets up and steps into one of his traps. He screams and struggles to get it off his foot. As the bear reaches him, Copper jumps in front, defending his master.

Amos gasps, knowing his dog would not survive. "Copper!"

Copper leaps onto the bear and bites into its neck. The bear bats Copper off of it but he attacks the bear again as Amos tries to get the trap off his foot. The bear slams the dog on the ground. Copper struggles to get up and jumps on the bear. As they fight, Copper rakes his teeth across the bear's muzzle, creating a deep wound.

The bear chases after him, almost running over Amos. Amos gets up and struggles to reach his gun as Copper and the bear fight some more. As he jumps at the bear again, it gives him a vicious slap.

Copper yelps loudly and falls down.

As Tod and Vixey run up a slope, Copper's cry reaches Tod's ears.

Tod stops immediately, his heart stopping as he heard his friend's cries of pain. Something was wrong.

He tries to run again but hears another yelp.

He stops and whips back around and looks back down the slope. Vixey runs back to Tod, confused.

"Tod!"

Tod looks back at Vixey then looks back down the slope.

Copper...

As the bear attack continues, Copper tumbles to the ground, injured. He struggles to get up as the bear approaches. Just as the bear is about to hit Copper again, Tod runs down the slope and jumps onto the bear.

Tod bites down on the bear's ear, ripping and slashing with teeth and claws. The bear tosses Tod around, slamming him to the ground. The bear then tosses him up onto the slope. Tod runs, slips and slides down between the bear's legs but escapes. The bear tries to bite Tod but misses, biting down only on rock. The fox runs up the slope, the bear close behind.

As he reaches the top, the bear takes a swipe at him and he's sent sliding across the ground. He struggles to get up as the bear approaches. He jumps onto the bear and bites into it.

The bear gives him another vicious swipe and Tod is sent flying and lands hard on the log bridge across the waterfall and struggles to get up. The bear steps onto the bridge. The bridge starts to buckle and Tod is thrown off balance. He almost falls off but grabs onto the bridge with his front paws. The bear lumbers forward and brings one paw up, ready to strike. T

od closes his eyes, ready for death, as the bear brings its paw down hard, taking out a chunk of the bridge. Tod falls as pain exploded though his body, and the bridge falls away, taking the bear with it.

After a long moment of being crushed by the dark churning water, Tod emerges from the water and stumbles to the shore, wounded and exhausted.

Tod struggles to get up but fails, collapsing near the water's edge.

Copper walks up, looking ruffled, dirty, and bleeding profusely from a few wounds. As he lays eyes on the fox who had just saved him and Amos, despite everything he had done, he felt immensely remorseful.

"Tod?" What have i done...

Suddenly, they hear a gun cock.

Tod looks up in fear and sees Amos pointing his gun right at him.

No!

The thought bounced off the walls of Copper's brain as he glanced between his friend - his best and true friend - and his master. Sometimes, there was just no room to obey and do what you were told.

Copper hurries forward and steps between Tod and Amos.

Amos glares. "Come on, Copper! Get out of the way!"

Copper stands his ground, locking eyes with his master intently. If he was going to shoot Tod, he was going to have to shoot Copper too.

Amos keeps his gun aimed at Tod.

A few tense seconds pass as neither Copper nor Amos move. Finally, Copper whimpers, and Amos softens.

With a sigh, he lowers his gun, finally admitting defeat.

Amos looks away, tired as Copper relaxed slightly in relief. "Well."

He walks forward and pets Copper.

"Come on, boy. Let's go home."

Amos slowly turns around and limps off, Copper following sadly.

He then stops and looks back at Tod, making sure he was ok.

Tod looks up and serenely smiles, at peace with his companion once again. By some unspoken agreement, their difference's had been set aside. With Tod's sacrifice, Copper knew where his loyalties lay. Right there with Tod.

Copper returns the smile, then continues to follow Amos as Tod gets up and limps in another direction.

They then stop and look at each other for one final time.


	19. Chapter 19

Big Mama is sleeping in a hole in the tree.

She is woken up by the sounds of tapping and sees Dinky and Boomer farther up the tree.

Boomer is hammering into the tree as Big Mama looks up at them. Boomer stops hammering, and they look into the hole. Dinky smiles, and they laugh.

"Shh shh. This is it. We got him for sure, now."

They look back inside the hole and suddenly, they are blinded by flashing multi-colored lights.

Boomer was surprised. "Oh my g-g-gosh!"

They quickly pull away from the hole and yell at the same time, shocked and confused.

"Yow!"

"Wow!"

"What happened?"

A butterfly comes flying out of the hole, flashing many colors.

"Hey." The butterfly lands on Boomer's beak. "There's something very familiar about those eyes, Dinky."

The butterfly then flies around, briefly flashing brilliantly.

Squeeks!

"Naw. It couldn't be," Dinky says.

They watch the butterfly leave.

"Could it?"

The butterfly flies over to Big Mama and lands on one of her wings. She laughs and the butterfly flies away.

"Bye, Squeeks. Bye. Good luck, honey."

She yawns and tries to go back to sleep but hears the sounds of Amos yelling in pain.

"Ouch! You're killin' me! Ouch!"

Big Mama looks over.

Over at Amos's house, Widow Tweed is bandaging Amos' hurt foot.

Widow was amused. "Amos Slade. Will you hold still? You're behaving like a child."

"Well for gosh sakes! You're hurtin' my foot, woman!"

"Nonsense!"

She grabs Amos' big toe and wiggles it. Amos winces in pain.

"Your foot is mendin' fine. You'll soon be yourself. Oh! Land sakes. I don't know if I'll like that. Ha ha!"

She nudges Amos on the shoulder and continues bandaging.

"Ow! Be careful!" Amos continues fussing.

Chief and Copper watched the scene from where they lay comfortably in their barrels.

"Huh! He's sure makin' a big fuss over a little old hurt leg," Chief grumbles.

Chief lies down with a snort and Copper smiles and shakes his head.

He then puts his head on the ground and closes his eyes as well, his thoughts trailing off to a time when he and Tod played together.

Copper opens his eyes again and smiles as voices from the past enter his mind.

"Copper? You're my very best friend..."

"And you're mine too, Tod."

"And we'll always be friends forever. Won't we?"

"Yeah. Forever."

Yes, we certainly will be Tod, Copper thought, still smiling.

Far away, on a hill that overlooked the farm, Tod gazes longingly upon the farm from atop a cliff in the forest. Vixey slowly approaches his side. She nudges him, and he looks at her. He nuzzles against her and the two cuddle as they gaze down upon Tod's old family and friend. He would forever remain there, being their protector, their guardian, their friend.


End file.
